During the summer holidays, while my family was away on a trip, I had some time to play around with food — just by myself and at my own pace. For me, it’s not just about cooking, but also the fun of carefully plating small portions in Japanese bowls and tiny dishes.
In everyday life, I usually default to one-plate meals that are easy to serve and tidy up. If I separate the salad, it might go into a simple glass bowl at most. But when it’s just for me, cleanup is easier — and even better, I can indulge in a whole spread of Japanese food that really shine in small plates.
One of the artists I worked with at the Maker Residency I attended last month was a potter. As a memento, she gave me a little sake cup. It’s actually meant for drinking, but I’ve been enjoying using it to serve tiny things like pickles.
My dish obsession escalated from there, and I finally gave in and bought a plate with a bit of height that I’d been eyeing for a while. That’s the one I used for the salad in the photo below.
Japanese tableware tends to be delicate, and many pieces can’t go in the dishwasher. The more plates I use, the more work it is to clean up. I think this love of using many little dishes even daily is something quite uniquely Japanese. I've been outside of Japan more than 10 years but my soul ... or stomach is Japanese.
It's a bit of a hassle, but also such a joyful part of Japanese food culture — and I’m happy if I could share a small glimpse of it through this post.
Do you have something like this in your country, too? A little “cultural quirk” when it comes to how you eat or serve food? I’d love to hear about it! 😊
夏休みに入って、家族が旅に出ているときに、一人気楽にご飯で遊んでいました。作るのと合わせて、お椀や小皿を使ってちまちま盛り付けるのが楽しいんです。普段はどうしても盛り付けと片付けが簡単なワンプレート、分けてもサラダをガラスのボウルに・・・くらいなものなのですが、一人分だと片付けが楽で、何より小皿が生える日本料理づくしにもできるので。
先月参加していたメイカーレジデンシーでご一緒した方の一人が陶芸家で、記念にと一つ作品をいただいて、お酒用のおちょこなのですが、これに漬物など小さいものを盛るのも楽しい。
お皿熱がヒートアップして、長らく迷っていたちょっと高さのあるお皿も買ってしまいました。下の写真でサラダを盛り付けているお皿です。
日本のお皿はデリケートで食器洗い機に入れられないものも多くて、数出すと手間は増える、でも、お皿をたくさん使いたくなるのって日本人なんだろうなと思います。
そんなちょっとめんどうだけれど、楽しい日本の食文化をこの投稿でちょっと紹介できたらうれしいです。みなさんの国ににもなんというか、こんな「うちの国の食文化あるある」ってありますか？あったら読んでみたいです☺️